A guide to Harrow

Harrow is a vibrant and thriving borough with a rich cultural heritage located in a pleasant suburb of Middlesex. It is just 10 miles from central London attractions and has good transport links to enable easy access to any part of London and beyond.

Being so close to London, but in a separate community, Harrow is a good situation in which to live. Many residential areas of the borough have an ‘urban village’ feel, particularly around Northwood, Pinner and Stanmore where school buildings are scattered around the roads leading up to the hilltop. The area also offers some of the most affordable and best value housing in London and most of the borough enjoys a good standard of living with ready access to open spaces and greenbelt land. As a result of this and its good schools, Harrow is a hugely popular place to live.

Shops and restaurants

From the modern town of Harrow with its pedestrianised shopping streets, to the commuter suburbs with traditional village centres, the resulting landscape is a unique mix of British and international culture that is visible in the homes, the stores, the activities, and particularly, the restaurants.

The region boasts two shopping malls and several primary shopping streets; Harrow town centre is the ninth biggest shopping area in London, regularly attracting shoppers from outside the borough. The borough is home to some award-winning restaurants, many of which reflect the strong international feel of the communities. The best restaurants and delis are to be found in Harrow-on-the-Hill, there are some Asian eateries of superb quality in the south of the borough and the village areas are home to a good selections of boutique shops and independent cafes, ideal for whiling away a lazy Sunday.

Leisure and recreation

There are many outdoor spaces worth a visit in the borough such as Centenary Park, Roxteth Recreation ground and the beautiful Pinner Memorial Park. The rolling acres, lakes and playing fields of Harrow School, whilst not open to the public, offer many in the area a green and leafy aspect and there are numerous smaller areas of woodland and open green space across the borough. Many parks contain sporting facilities such as tennis courts and bowling greens and there are two golf courses, as well as numerous council and private gyms and swimming pools.

Schools

Harrow is home to Harrow School on the main ‘hill’ of Harrow, which has produced seven prime ministers including Sir Winston Churchill. Aside from the famous school, the borough schools have a good educational record and are highly regarded – there are many state-funded primary and secondary schools to choose from as well as some large tertiary colleges.

Religion and diversity

Harrow borough is the most religiously diverse local authority area in the UK. The borough has the largest concentration of Sri Lankan Tamils and Gujarati Hindus in the UK and the Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue boasts the largest membership of any single synagogue in the whole of Europe. Harrow's diversity is celebrated in an annual festival, 'Under One Sky', which has a packed programme of dance, world music, sports, spoken word, children's activities, a carnival parade, health promotion stalls, a world food zone and an outside radio broadcast.

For more information about schools, religious centres, activities and groups you can get involved with in Harrow visit Harrow Council's website.